April Newsletter

     So, did you all think I'd forgotten about you? Things have been busy over here on my side of the screen. To start at the end of March, I had a birthday. Nothing landmarkish, just another trip around the sun. I celebrated in the usual way, worked all day and then filmed most of the night. IX Productions has a new project in the works, a web series called That Space Show. Look for it online, the promo trailer is currently on youtube. They go into production later this month.
     That was Thursday so that means I spent Friday working and packing. Saturday, the 1st, I moved most of the day and then had a derby game that night. The home teams are in the home stretch before The Rink of Fire in May. It looks like The Dreadnought Dorothys will be taking on The Black Eye Susans for The Tim Warder Cup and The Victory Vixens and The Knock-Outs are fighting it out for third. After the game, more moving.
     Sunday, a little cleaning before going to Wichita for The Junior Warriors pre-season game against ICT. They held their own for a while but started to lose control in the second period and ended up losing. They have a decent team, just need some more practice. Next season will probably be a building season since most of the veterans are about to age out. After the game, I was able to have dinner with my dad. That was nice. Back home to more last minute moving and a deep cleaning of an empty apartment. I probably got enough sleep over three days to count on two hands but it was worth it to be done with that place and get my security deposit back.
     Somewhere in that blur of a week, I managed to start the unpacking process, do the write up for Saturdays game, have a second birthday dinner and get to work.
     Friday, the 7th, as part of the Kansas City Film Festival, IX Productions had the premier of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was cool to see it on the big screen and hear my hard work coming through theater speakers. The audience laughed in the right places and had questions during the q&a. Look for it at a film festival near you because it has been submitted to several. Hit the after party, go home, pass out, resurrect thy self at the alarm and move on to Saturday.
     Worked until 7 and managed to make the 7:30 performance of Tennessee Playboy. The story line is a little disjointed but the performances were good. Hit a KCFF after party with some of the cast and networked until my eyes glazed over. Lather, rinse, repeat and we're now into Sunday.
     I went to see Return To Forbidden Planet in Independence. It's a musical. The story line wandered around and characters seemed to go through the motions just because the script said they had to. I was there to support a friend who had choreographed his first fight scene. Given the circumstances, it turned out well. Everybody involved was inexperienced, one of the actresses had a costume that limited her range of motion and it was set to music and done on the fly since he was brought in as a last minute replacement. Everybody walked away and was able to complete the show so I chalk that one up as a win. All those years of Richard and I killing him and kicking his ass had paid off.
     The rest of the week is filled with waking up and going to work but there is a derby tournament this weekend between KCRW, Omaha and Tulsa. Tickets are available now, get yours today! If you're not in KC then tune in to The Wheel Press' facebook page for coverage. This will be the first time I've tried to do a running commentary in real time so tune in, it'll either be cool or a shit show.
     What's a newsletter without a few book and movie suggestions? Without any further ado-
In A Deadly Vein by Brett Halliday- Mike Shane and his wife are on vacation in a small Colorado mining town that is playing host to a theatrical festival (I had no idea how coincidental this story line was when I picked it up). While waiting for the opening night festivities to begin, they run across an actress they know from New York. While they are talking, she sees her long lost father through a window. She goes after him and turns a corner just in time to see him murdered and the killer run away. Later that night, she ends up dead as well. The local police are baffled and it's up to Shane to get to the bottom of things before more people wind up dead. It's worth your time to read this.
Loitering With Intent: The Child by Peter O'Toole- If you're expecting a book filled with great stories like the ones you've always heard Mr. O'Toole tell over the years, this will disappoint you a little. This is narrative prose. The stories are interesting, once you learn the language. When he talks about his early childhood, he uses a lot of cockney slang that's difficult for those of us from the colonies to follow at times but over time, as he grows up and moves around and begins school, the language gets a little clearer. There is a parallel with Adolph Hitler that runs throughout the book. He became obsessed with Hitler because he was terrified as a child during the war. It's worth your time if you're a fan but it may not be everybody's cup of tea.
Face The Music: A Life Exposed by Paul Stanley- This book is amazing. If you get the chance, listen to the audio book, it's read by Paul and it's unabridged. His story and struggles are really interesting. I related to a lot of what he was talking about and that always fascinates me when I hear about the struggles of people that I admire. When I was a kid I always thought it would be cool to be Paul Stanley or Arnold Schwarzenegger, After hearing their stories, it turns out I wasn't that far off. We just took different career paths. Even i you're not a KISS fan, I think you'll enjoy the book. It's more about the musician than the music. Of course, if you are a fan, then you will have a lot of questions answered as he just lays it out there, warts and all. Check it out, I think you'll like it.
The Autobiography of Mark Twain parts 2 and 3 by Mark Twain- True to form, Mr. Clemens delivers the goods, even 100 years later. His approach of moving from subject to subject at the speed of thought really keeps things interesting. If you like part one, then keep going, you won't be disappointed.
Adventures In Babysitting-I hadn't seen this movie in years but I ran across it at the library so I decided to take it home. It still holds up. I found myself laughing at the parts I'd forgotten about and even the jokes I did remember were still funny. Say what you will about The Karate Kid or Call To Glory, this was definitely the movie where I became a mouth breathing, moist handed fan boy for Elisabeth Shue. Check it out.
Blazing Saddles- I was definitely strolling down memory lane last month. What can I say about this movie that you don't already know? Check out the dvd, Mel Brooks has a "select scene commentary" which is a fancy way of saying his commentary runs through most of the movie but not all of it. Once he's done, that's it. He tells some really interesting stories about the making of the film so it's definitely worth your time.
Brutal Beauty: Tales Of The Rose City Rollers- I'm watching a documentary about a roller derby team? That's so unusual. This was made a couple of years ago and it chronicles The Rose City Rollers as they make their way to The Championships. It's pretty interesting, managing to spend just enough time on each player tat it doesn't just get overwhelming. I've always considered doing a documentary on The Roller Warriors but we had a tv series so anything else just seems kind of pale in comparison. Check it out if you enjoy sports documentaries. You don't have to be a derby fan to appreciate this, but it doesn't hurt.
The Cannonball Run- Sometimes you just want to watch a movie for the sheer fun of it and that's what this movie is, just a lot of fun. It has an all-star cast and it's directed by Hal Needham. If you get the dvd, you'll also get to hear his commentary track with the producer. Well worth your time. It ties with The Villain as my third favorite Needham movie.
Conan The Barbarian- After reading Schwarzenegger's book and learning about everything that went on behind the scenes with this, I had to watch it again. I love this movie. If you haven't seen it in a while, check it out. if you've never seen it, run, don't walk, to your local library or video store and get it now!
Inspector Bellamy- This was Claude Chabrol's last film. Gerard Depardieu is great in the title role as a retiring detective who has his time divided between an estranged brother and a murder case. The performances are incredible but the story just fades out. Not one of favorite Chabrol films but worth a look for the curious.
The Narrow Margin- Charles McGraw is a police detective who is on the longest rain ride of his life as he tries to get a mobsters widow, Marie Windsor, from Chicago to Los Angeles to testify. Check it out, I think you'll enjoy it. William Friedkin does a commentary track which is interesting but, you keep asking yourself, why is Friedkin doing the commentary? Check it out.
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream- It's hard to be objective considering how close i am to the material and the resources that went into this but, I can say without prejudice that one of the things that drew me into this project was the fact that it's unabridged. Even on set, there was always some body on book and if an actor put a "the" or "thou" in the wrong place or omitted it all together, we were going for another take. If you're a fan of ambitious independent projects then, by all means, check this out. If you're a big Shakespeare nerd, you'll love it.
All In The Family seasons 7, 8, 9- I'm glad that i finally made it through all of the seasons. I had not seen many of these since I was a kid and the stuff from the later seasons I didn't remember at all. If you start watching the series, stick with it. It doesn't fall apart like most shows that last past season five. I'm not saying it was perfect, but it remained consistently good.
     That's all I have for this month. Tune in next month to see what I've had a chance to watch. My schedule has been so chaotic that I don't even have time to watch tv. Sometimes I think this is a good thing, other times it feels exhausting. I'm trying to reconnect to people again so maybe it's not so bad. Until next month.
   

March Newsletter

Greetings all,
     Welcome to March! It's hard to believe we're three months in to the new year already. The president hasn't pushed the button...yet, and we haven't invaded anything. So, as long as we're just maintaining the status quo of fear and paranoia, what say we move on to cheerier subjects?
     As I mentioned last month, my nomadic tendencies are flaring up again and I'm on the move. The hardest part is over, I found a place, now it's on to Phase Two-packing. I take possession in April so my next broadcast will be from my new place. I'll be happy when all of this is over since lately it seems like my days have just become one long to-do list. Thankfully, I have some travel therapy coming up. I feel like I've just stagnated over the winter; I don't like it. California peeps, get ready, because next month I'm invading your state!
     On the subject of travel, I did recently have a chance to get out of town for a day. I took a trip to Atchison, Kansas. Okay, it wasn't much of a trip and Atchison's not much of a town but, at Benedictine College they had a David Mamet double feature. The matinee was Speed-the-plow. I had never read this or seen it performed so the material was new to me. That was kind of refreshing considering that it's an early work. I don't know how it's escaped me through the years but now I've seen it. I enjoyed the story and I'm trying not to be too harsh on the actors but when college kids are trying to play mid-forties, you can't help but wonder what they're basing that performance off of. There was also a poorly staged fight scene but that's just me picking nits. I'm sure the rest of the audience bought into it, especially when the blood capsules came out.
     The second play was Oleanna. This one I have read and seen the movie but it was a treat to see it on stage. I will admit to a slight bias just because a friend of mine, Mr. Andy Penn, was in the role of the teacher. He was age appropriate for the role, so that wasn't a distraction. That's the only grace I had to give him, the rest of the praise he brought on with his own merits. It was great to see it performed live. Mamet is a lot like Shakespeare in that regard. Reading it only goes so far. I still remember working at a theater when the movie came out and people would have some really heated discussions over which character was in the right. Sometimes it was as entertaining as the film, other times you just wanted to herd them out the door and let them fight it out on the sidewalk.
     Surprisingly, the play did not bring this kind of heated debate. I was a little surprised given that I was on a college campus. Later, a thought struck me upon reflection since I also walked out of it with a different feeling than when I read it or saw the film. In the 1990's, when it came out, by the time you reached the end, you were pretty sure the girl was some kind of demented, up and coming feminazi. Here in the new millennium, when everybody screams assault and makes a federal case out of a sideways glance, you could see both sides and his reactions don't feel as justified. You still understand them, but were they as justified as they were twenty years ago? I later found out that the director slightly changed a couple of things to blur the lines of fault but, I still can't help but wonder if society has changed so much that this play has lost it's cultural impact?
     I haven't read many plays as of late but, I have been tearing through some good autobiographies and a little sword and sorcery fantasy just to keep the imagination active. Maybe you've read some of these or maybe you're just looking for a recommendation, either way, here's what I've read lately-
White Line Fever by Lemmy Kilmister- Regardless of if you're a Motorhead fan or not (yeah, right, like anybody is not a Motorhead fan), this is a damn fine read. If you have an interest in the music industry and like the behind the scenes stories, this is for you. The book was published in 2002 so if you're looking for the insight from beyond the grave, there might be some magazine articles out there but you won't find it here. What you will find is some insight into the industry, the perils of forming a band and a lot of interesting and funny stories from the road (which he refers to as Motorhead's natural habitat). Definitely worth a read.
The Ring Of Ikribu by David C. Smith & Richard Tierney-     This is the first installment in a series of books featuring Red Sonja. She is a mercenary swordswoman in The Hyborian Age (a creation of Robert E. Howard for Conan). Sonja hires on with an exiled monarch to help reclaim his kingdom from an evil wizard who searches the land for a ring of untold power. If you want to know more, you’ll have to read the book. If you’ve read Howard’s stories and enjoyed them then check this out. If your only exposure to the sword and sorcery fantasy genre has come in 400 page chunks with entire chapters dedicated to the history of forests and the lineage of Hobbits, then definitely check this out. Enjoy! 
The Autobiography of Mark Twain Volume One by Mark Twain- When I first saw this pop up on the shelves of the local bookstores, I was apprehensive. I figured it was some sort of reprinted compilation that somebody had strung together in order to make a few bucks off of the Twain name. For some reason, I never saw volumes two or three show up until I saw them on the library shelf. Feeling this was no longer a hoax, I decided to pick it up. It's on disc and runs about 20 per volume. I figured if it turned out to be crap I can hit the eject button and be done with the whole mess. It turns out that this really is a work by Mark Twain. He left behind several manuscripts as well as instructions that the book not be published until 100 years after his passing. Well, as time has marched on since 1910, The Mark Twain Society has sifted through a few hundred thousand pages of manuscript and notes to faithfully construct this book into what is the best guestimation of how Twain would have wanted it. There is not a clear running timeline but a wandering monologue as natural thought patterns and conversations tend to go. The audiobook is narrated by Grover Gardner, although, I was a little surprised they didn't get Hal Holbrook. After seeing his stage show about ten years ago, you really feel like he is Twain. I definitely recommend the first volume, more later on the next volumes.
     In between books, there are always movies. I feel like I haven't seen as many movies this month but I'm hoping that will change with the weather.
     Duck Soup- The four Marx Brothers are at it again! I was just looking for a good laugh and happened to run across something timely in these politically turbulent times. It seems the country of Freedonia has fallen on hard times. An heiress can save the country with a loan but, before that happens, she wants somebody new in power because she has lost faith in the leadership. Who is this man, you ask, to lead the country out of this depression and protect its borders? Rufus T. Firefly (played by Groucho)! His adversaries have sent their best spies (Chico and Harpo) to infiltrate Firefly’s palace and keep them aware of his actions. Zeppo plays the captain of the guard who leads the troops into battle against the rival nation that is attempting a coup. If you’re looking for a good laugh, definitely check this out.
Grudge Match- Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone in a movie together supported by Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger and Kevin Hart! A sure fire hit, right? Not really. The acting is good, the script is competent but it just feels like a contractual obligation. Each of these actors have been in better movies, if you've seen all of those then go ahead and watch this one. It's not a complete waste of time.
Hercules In The Haunted World- This was the second movie that Reg Park did in his Hercules series. It came out in 1961 and was made in Italy. Christopher Lee plays an evil wizard who has cast a spell on Hercules' fiancee. In order to save her, Hercules must travel to Hades to retrieve an artifact that will allow him to break the spell. It's good ol' Saturday matinee fun the way sword and sandal films are supposed to be. I've always felt a connection with this particular film since screening one of the five remaining prints. We managed to get it for one showing before it was sent to California where they made the video transfer that you see today.
John Wick-  If you wrote this off as just another action film with Keanu “whoa” Reeves, then you’re really missing out. Once you buy into the alternate comic book-esque world of this movie, it’s really a lot of fun. I will freely admit that I wasn’t expecting a lot from this movie the first time I saw it. In fact, I think I was just looking for something to do after work. Man, was I ever surprised. The plotline is solid, the supporting cast is awesome and the fight scenes are incredible! Check this out, especially since we now have…

John Wick: Chapter 2-  If you thought the first one was a thrill ride, strap in and hang onto something because this is going to get crazy. If you liked the first one, definitely check this out, you will not be disappointed.   
Lethal Weapon-  I can keep this brief because I just talked about this back in January. This does slide in on a technicality though, because it’s the theatrical cut. A local movie theater recently revived it for one showing and I was there! It was in 35mm and the print looked great. I don’t know what it is about this movie that makes me enjoy it so much. Yes, it was ground breaking and became the gold standard for action movies, but that was thirty years ago. The scenes inside the Murtaugh house always feel like an editor trying to salvage a story out of missing footage. But yet, the writing still holds up, the characters are incredible and nobody has come up with a fight scene as cool as the Riggs/Joshua fight at the end. I’m sure I’ll still be watching this movie thirty years from now and still feeling that same excitement. I just chalk it up to the magic of movies.
My Bloody Valentine- What better time to watch a movie about a disgruntled miner wreaking vengeance on a small town than on Valentines Day? This 1981 holiday classic had a directors cut released a few years ago where they put in the footage that got cut on its initial release. The movie now makes more sense. Censorship at the expense of story, who benefits? If you haven't seen it in a while, check it out. The early 1980's was the golden age of the slasher film and this one does not disappoint.
A Night In Casablanca-With the latest manager of a posh hotel in post-war Casablanca murdered, the call goes out to find a replacement. The man for the job-Ronald Kornblow (Groucho). It seems that there are Nazi spies about and a hidden treasure that an Allied army officer is intent to find to clear his name. Another classic from The Marx Brothers that I would recommend.
Red Shoe Diaries-Zalman King came up with a great pilot for his Showtime series. It stars David Duchovny as a successful architect whose life gets shattered when his fiancee commits suicide. As he is gathering up her belongings, he comes across her diary. What he finds inside leaves him with more questions than answers as he tries to come to grips with what he reads. If you've enjoyed King's other films then this will not disappoint. His obsession with Anias Nin and his ever present themes of tragic romance are at an all time high. Unfortunately, it also has one of the top five cringe worthy lines ever uttered in filmdom but, hey, nothing's perfect. Check it out and let me know what you think.
That Man Bolt- Universal Pictures was looking to start a franchise with this movie. It was a Shaft meets Bond kind of thing that never really took off in their eyes. Too bad, because Jefferson Bolt (played by Fred Williamson) could have really taken off as a character. He was the predecessor of Frank Martin (who got four movies and a short lived series) in that he was an international courier who uses his wits as well as his muscle to get the package where it needs to be when it needs to be there.  He has the suave sophistication of Bond and the street wise toughness of Shaft (as well as having a better fight choreographer than Mean Johnny Barrows). It’s worth a look, if you get the chance you should check it out.
Used Cars- Written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by John Milius and Steven Spielberg and starring Kurt Russell and Jack Warden. With a pedigree like this it's hard to believe that the movie never caught on bigger than it did. It is a definite cult classic in the vein of D.C. Cab that you either get into and enjoy or you don't. There's very little middle ground. I really enjoyed it and I hope you do too.
     Finally, for my fellow tv watchers-
All In The Family Season 5- This was the season where The Jeffersons moved on up and the Stivics moved on out. This also saw the 100th episode where Henry Fonda hosted an hour long retrospect. It's interesting to see Mike grow as a character due to his freedom from under Archie's roof.
All In The Family Season 6- The writing is still solid for the most part. That's a rarity when you get much past season 4 anymore. The Bunkers become grandparents and the writers start to explore the couple moments of Edith and Archie now that they're alone. The directors also come up with some new angles to film the house in. It's amusing to think back on how the raspberry was the pop culture catch phrase right before "may the force be with you."
     That's about all I have for this month. Don't forget about The Roller Warriors games coming up March 11th and April 1st. The Dreadnought Dorothys have a lock on things so far, but that can change. If The Knock-Outs win their next four games, they might take home a trophy. Everybody loves an underdog. Tune in next month when I'll be another year older and living in a new place. Until next time.

February Newsletter

     Welcome to February. How's your year going? Has our new president gotten around to insulting your demographic yet? Don't worry, this is not going to turn into a political rant. I'm sure you're just as tired as I am of hearing about this. Unfortunately, we still have three years and eleven months of Shit My President Says in real time.

     We are two games into the new season of home team roller derby. The Dorothys are so far undefeated and The Knock-Outs are still looking for a win. I think the Knock-Outs might actually pull off a miracle in the next game (February 18th, Memorial Hall). They play The Susans who just blew out The Vixens. It makes for a more exciting game if you have the team who hasn't won a game in over a season going up against a team that just broke the number one teams win record.

     I just published my story on the game so all of this is still fresh on my mind. I'm still digging the fact that I'm now a self contained unit when it comes to The Wheel Press (kcrollerwarriors.com). I'm still trying to find content for the fb page but, I'm sure that'll pick up as we get deeper into the season.

     Breaking news for those of you who were fans of Notes Of A Drunk Whisperer, I'm looking into starting a new project so stay tuned to my fb page for news on that. If you don't see anything in a few  weeks, you'll know that the idea went nowhere.

     In other writing news, my novelization managed to inch along a little bit this past month. I know it's not much but considering that it had stopped dead for a bit, this is big news. My other script is still in the stopped dead pile for the moment. I feel the inspiration and write down a couple of lines and then the inspiration leaves again. There's an idea for a serial that keeps nagging at me so I keep making notes. I'd like to get one of these things completed before jumping into a new project. Why are there only 24 hours in a day?

     It feels like there was something else I was going to tell you, but I can't think now of what that is. I guess it's time to tell you all about the books, movies and t.v. shows I've been watching. Not that I think you folks actually care, Sometimes I run across good stuff and want to share it or warn you away from it. 

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens- This is one of the first books Mr. Dickens wrote. It definitely shows his journalism background as it is a story that centers around a man who started a journalistic society. The book is intended to be the collective narrative of said society. I enjoyed it and do recommend it, and on a personal note, I'll say to my fellow Dickens fans, I didn't enjoy it as much as Great Expectations but I do like it better than A Tale Of Two Cities.

Groucho And Me by Groucho Marx- I have been a fan of Groucho's since at least when I was in first grade. I'm surprised it's taken me this long to read his autobiography but now it's off my bucket list. If you get the chance, you should read it. He talks all about his early years in show business and how he and his brothers rose from Vaudeville to Broadway to the movies. If you're into show business stories you'll dig it.

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger- Whether you like the guy or not, this is an incredible story. Here's the story of an Austrian farm boy who got into bodybuilding, became a multiple title holding champion in the sport, came to America, became a leading man in movies while amassing a fortune in real estate investments, going to school to learn English and get a business degree and eventually became a governor. Did I leave anything out? Probably. You'll just have to read the book to fill in the gaps. If you enjoyed Arnold: The Education of A Bodybuilder, you'll love this one. It's more informative and motivational and inspirational than the nuts and bolts and how-to that Arnold was. Definitely seek this one out. Bonus story-there's a really good interview with him in Cigar Aficionado this month. Check it out if you're interested.

Boss Nigger- Written, produced by and starring Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, this movie was made in 1975 in the heyday of the Blaxploitation period. A bounty hunter (Williamson) and his partner (D’Urville Martin) become the local law enforcement of a small town as they await the arrival of a man they’re hunting (William Smith). It plays very much in the Spaghetti Western genre with Williams playing the anti-hero. It’s more than just a counter culture movie or a Black film, it really took the Western genre and broke with a lot of the traditions that are so common. It’s worth a look if you get the chance. You’ll probably find it under it’s more politically correct title, Boss or The Black Bounty Hunter. There’s a bit on the dvd where Williams explains the title and how he used it for marquee value, much like the Nigger Charlie movies he’d made a couple of years before. There are a couple of interviews on there as well that are interesting.

Captain America: Civil War-      There were only two movies I saw more than once theatrically last year and this was one of them. I’ve really enjoyed what Marvel Studios has done with Captain America and look forward to another movie if they keep telling me a good story.

     There is so much going on in this movie that you almost have to see it twice. They introduce The Black Panther and Spider-Man, they bring back General Ross, there’s dissension within The Avengers, and they bring in Baron Zemo (sans fur collar and purple mask). If you’ve enjoyed the Marvel films so far then definitely check this out. If you just want to watch the three Captain America films, that’s cool too. The movies are a lot like the comic books, they make the most sense if you watch all of them but if you only follow one character, you can still play along at home.

Don't Play Us Cheap- Melvin Van Peebles originally wrote this for the stage but when he started shopping it around for investors, he discovered that people were having two different visions of the story. One group was on board with the idea of a Broadway musical, the other group thought he was making a movie. In need of funding, he agreed with both groups and came up with a great marketing plan. He built the sets and rehearsed it as a Broadway musical and then shot it as a movie just before opening. It went over big for a few months. When things were starting to cool down, he released the movie and rejuvenated the Broadway box office with new interest. The story deals with devil bats that were sent to Earth to spread misery and despair. The first thing they encounter is a party in Harlem. It's fun and worth a look if you're a Van Peebles fan.

How To Eat Your Watermelon In White Company (and enjoy it)- This is a documentary on the life of Melvin Van Peebles. You'll notice a theme running through my movie watching habits this month. It seems like every time I go to the library, they have a new film of his on display. This guy has an amazing tale to tell. One of the stories I found most interesting (and able to relate to this section) was how he got into film making. He went to Hollywood but couldn't get work because he's Black. So, he went to France and started writing. While there, he discovered a clause in French law that says that a French writer can get a directors card to direct an adaptation of his own work. He went on to publish five books in French, which made him a French writer, so he got his card and made Story Of A Three Day Pass which was one of his books. When the festivals started buzzing about the film, Hollywood took notice and invited him out. He went on to make Watermelon Man for Columbia. Check it out, it's amazing.  

In A Valley Of Violence- I'm not going to say too much about this movie because, admittedly, the plot line is not too deep and I want you to have the same opportunity I did to be entertained. It stars Ethan Hawke as a drifter and John Travolta as a Marshal in a small border town. It's worth a look.

Mean Johnny Barrows- Fred Williamson produced, directed and starred in this 1976 two- fisted action movie. It's a great example of independent film making. He managed to get Roddy McDowell because they had the same agent. He got Stuart Whitman, R.G. Armstrong because they were friends and he got Elliott Gould because they met on M*A*S*H and he used to play football with Mike Henry. It can be all about who you know. The assassin in the movie is his martial arts instructor who was also his fight choreographer. You just have to take their showdown with a grain of salt. Check it out if you're a fan.

My Favorite Year- I will unabashedly recommend  this movie to anybody who likes comedy. It stars the great Peter O'Toole as a matinee idol who is due to appear on a t.v. show where Mark Linn-Baker is the junior writer. Because of his reputation as a drunkard and womanizer, O'Toole is put under the care of Linn-Baker to make sure he gets to the show on time. This was a first time directing effort from Richard Benjamin as well as Linn-Bakers first film role. See this now!

Operation Petticoat- Blake Edwards directs Carey Grant and Tony Curtis, hilarity ensues. Make time for this if you haven't seen it in a while.

The Professionals- Before The Expendables there were The Professionals. Mexican bandit Jack Palance took Claudia Cardinale from railroad baron Ralph Belamy. To get her back, he's hired Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan and Woody Strode. There's only one man tough enough to lead this bunch on a mission like this-Lee Marvin. If you liked The Wild Bunch then you'll love The Professionals. See it today!

Pumping Iron- After reading Schwarzenegger's autobiography, I decided to go back and revisit this docu-drama after hearing about all the behind the scenes goings on. I've always enjoyed it and knowing what I know now makes me enjoy it a little more. Check it out after you read the book and you'll see what I mean.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story- I am first generation Star Wars fan. The very first movie came out when I was in third grade and, of course, I went ape-shit crazy over it. The next two came out and I was there multiple times. In 1998, when the Special Editions came out, I was curious but optimistic that those movies could be improved. A New Hope got bogged down with new footage. The Empire Strikes Back did actually get improved with the picture enhancements, so I can't say it was a total waste. Return  Of The Jedi was altered in an attempt to set up the next three movies, which should have tipped me off to the rocky road that lie ahead. The following year, I saw Episode I and my inner third grader felt betrayed and let down. I sat through the next two movies more out of a sense of obligation to complete the story than anything else. At the end of Episode III I felt like I had just completed a journey when I should have felt like running home and watching Episode IV to see what happens next. My lightsaber had long been hung up and collecting dust by the time Episode VII came out. I had no desire to see it at all. The only reason I finally did see it was because my mom suggested it. I don't get a chance to see movies with mom much and the fact that we saw the very first one together seemed kind of fitting. It was what it was but the best part was when we looked at each other after it was over and said we never have to do this again.
     That was the mentality I had when I heard about Rogue One being made. Now that the mouse is in charge, I realize that we're going to have a new Star Wars movie every other year until the end of days. Just like The Fast And Furious and Star Trek movies.
     I was on the phone with my friend and business partner catching up on things since the  holiday break and he kept going on about Rogue One. He's one of the last hold outs I know that still likes these movies. I told him my views and said I had no interest in the movie. He told me something that I will tell you, in case you're still on the fence. He said that this was the movie you wished Episode III would have been, this is the one we deserved. Knowing this would come up in future conversations and being a little intrigued, I finally broke down and saw a matinee. I'm glad I did. He was right, it's what I wished Episode III would have been. I actually felt like going home and watching Episode IV to see what happens next. I'm still done with the franchise and I have no desire to see any further installments but this was the movie that finally made my inner third grader happy. I'm recommending it if you're interested.

Sing Street- I've enjoyed John Carney's other films, Once and Begin Again, but this feels like the one he's been building up to. Set in Ireland in the mid 1980's, it tells the story of a high schooler who meets a girl and invites her to be in his band's music video. She agrees and he's walking on air that he's going to get to hang out with this object of affection. Now all he has to do is form a band and write a song so they can make a video. No problem, right? Maybe it's because I went to high school in the '80's or have contemplated doing foolish things like that, but I enjoyed the hell out of this movie  and definitely recommend it.

Story Of A Three Day Pass- Written and directed by Melvin Van Peebles (I told you I'd talk about him again) and based off a book he wrote, this tells the story of a young Black soldier serving overseas and on the verge of a promotion. As a reward, his C.O. gives him a three day pass and he goes into town and has a series of adventures and meets a woman. It's reminiscent of the French New Wave films that were coming out in the early to mid 1960's, although that was not it's intent. Van Peebles was just telling a story that he wanted to see and wanted to make a movie. Check it out!

Wrong Is Right- A political satire in the vein of Dr. Strangelove: or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the bomb and Wag The Dog. Written and directed by Richard Brooks (see also The Professionals) and starring Sean Connery along with an all-star cast, this tells the story of a broadcast journalist who gets caught up in a story about a government cover up concerning two missing suitcase nukes. It's worth a look.

     Finally, for all of my t.v. watching friends out there, I recently rediscovered a couple of nuggets from days gone by-
All In The Family- I started season 1 last month and I think I forgot to tell you about it. Any way, the writing in the first season is incredible. The second season feels like the writers were reading a few notes from the network but still trying to make a quality show. The third season was where Norman Lear left to focus on the spin-off, Maude, and the production value was a little lacking, not bad, just not where it was. Season 4 saw the show still in it's stride, still dealing with the issues of the day but Archie Bunker just seems to be the butt of every joke. It's a little disappointing after being so cutting edge in the first season to now just being a buffoon. The seasons are short and the laughs are plentiful and solid so it's hard to criticize too harshly. If you get the chance, check it out.

Good Night And Good Luck: The Edward R. Murrow Television Collection- Broken up into four parts and hosted by Charles Kuralt, Mike Wallace, Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather. One disc deals with just his biography, another is the best of See It Now, one of the original news magazine programs, another is about his struggle against Sen. McCarthy and the final one is his broadcast of Harvest Of Shame about the migrant workers in the south. If you're a fan of journalism or just Murrow, check this out, it's amazing.

     Well, I thing that's about it for this month. I just got a notice about a rent increase slipped under my door yesterday so the next time you hear from me it may be from a new address. I keep having to remind myself that I have other obligations and can't just sell everything and roam the country like Jack Reacher or Christopher McCandless. Not until after November at least and maybe not even then. The search for decent housing begins. See you next month.

January Newsletter

     Welcome to 2017! Congratulations on surviving 2016! What a crazy year that was, huh? We lost a lot of artists, had race riots, The Chicago Cubs beat The Cleveland Indians in The World Series and Donald Trump is president. Tell me that’s not a sign of a coming apocalypse. Speaking of impending doom, how about the Nunes-Rousey fight? So much for the comeback. It should be interesting to see what she does now. There’s always The Expendables 4.

     I’ve been working my ass off since November so I don’t really have a lot of new stuff to talk about outside of don’t take your holiday aggressions out on your grocery clerk, it’s not his fault your life sucks and your kids are a flaming pain in the ass. Luckily, things should start to ease up a little before we have to deal with Super Bowl parties. The Roller Warriors home season will be starting in about a week. There were thirty some-odd new rookies so this should be an interesting season. Will The Vixens go for a third year victory? Will The Knockouts get out of the basement? Only time will answer these questions. Tune in to The Wheel Press at kcrollerwarriors.com to follow the action. I am now senior correspondent, editor-in-chief AND publisher this season so things will be updated in a timely manner. Look for The Wheel Press on facebook to get live updates on game day. I’m still trying to figure out what kind of bonus material I can put up there to hold your attention between games.

     My reading habits of late have been all over the place. I’m either working my way through an omnibus of early Thor stories or catching up on a magazine subscription or listening to 25 disks of The Pickwick Papers. I’m on disk 24 so you’ll have to wait until next month to hear about it. I’m going to the library on Monday so next month promises to be interesting.

     Being the holiday season, I have a list of holiday favorites that maybe you enjoyed, haven’t seen in a while or just never knew about. There are a few thrown in just for the fun of it because there are only so many holiday films you can sit through.

3 Godfathers- The 1948 Christmas classic directed by John Ford starring John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz and Harry Carey, Jr. in the title roles. Three bank robbers are on the run from a posse when they encounter a dying woman who asks them to look after her newborn child.

Christmas Cottage-I stumbled across this one at the library. It’s a feel good movie based on real events and kind of plays out like a big budget Hallmark movie but, there is one redeeming thing about this sugary sweet Christmas cookie of a movie and that is the great Peter O’Toole. I’m painting it in a much harsher light than it deserves so I’ll just wrap this one up by saying if you happen to run across it, watch it and enjoy. 

Die Hard- With the passing of Alan Rickman, this seemed especially fitting this year. The Alamo played it on the big screen so I got to see it in all of its big screen glory this year. I was a little surprised they didn’t play it as a double bill with Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence but, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth. There may be some kind of problem with Mr. Lawrence because I couldn’t even find it for home viewing.

District: B-13- Every so often I get the urge to watch this and this was one of those times. I still remember seeing this theatrically with seven other people. I took a chance on it when I saw Luc Besson’s  name attached to it. When K2 and his guys kick in Leito’s door, my life changed. Cyril Raffaelii was the stunt choreographer as well as one of the stars and, along with David Belle, introduced the world to Parkour.

The Edge Of Seventeen-I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the target demographic for this movie but something in the preview made me decide to give it a chance. I’m glad I did, it was actually enjoyable. It helped that I saw it early in the day in the middle of the week so I was the only one in the theater! It is a story about being a seventeen year old girl in high school but, mercifully, it is not just aimed at seventeen year old girls. It really does a good job of capturing that universal feeling that everybody at that age went through. That’s not always an easy thing. I tried it about two months ago with a short story. Apparently, it didn’t come off as well as I thought it did because the reception was less than luke warm. Oh well, enjoy the movie, I’ll keep trying something else.

Fletch-I love this movie. It’s one of Chevy Chase’s best roles. The filmmakers managed to capture the spirit of Gregory McDonald’s novels without turning it into a complete parody by letting Chevy have room to move. Chase plays an investigative journalist who’s working on a story when a millionaire philanthropist asks Chase to kill him. Now, there are two stories, and that’s not the whole story. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen it or if you’ve never seen it, go now and track it down. It’s one of Gena Davis’ first movies and Richard Libertini has a great supporting role as Fletch’s editor. I have a quick personal anecdote to throw in, if you’ll indulge me. When Richard and I were thinking of a dream cast for Order 86, I always envisioned Libertini as one of our supporting protagonists. From the inception of the character and through all of the rewrites, he was the one I always saw in the role. This was a slight point of contention between us as he had always envisioned somebody else and couldn’t see Libertini in it at all. It wasn’t worth going to the mattresses over since we were only talking hypothetically at that point. Of course, in the spirit of 2016, cancer resolved our differences about a week later when I read that Libertini had passed away. Despite all of my preconceived ideas, I have to admit that Josh Busick came in and nailed it.

Heat-One of Michael Mann’s finest films and a great crime drama to boot. The characters are well written, the cast is outstanding, what can I say about this movie that you don’t already know?

The In-Laws-I hadn’t seen this movie in many a year and I’m happy to see that it still stands up. Arkin and Falk are great together. Richard Libertini plays a Mexican dictator with several screws loose. It’s hilarious. Criterion released a new dvd earlier this year with a commentary track with Alan Arkin, writer Andrew Bergman, Peter Falk and director Arthur Hiller. There are also a couple of supplementary interviews with Arkin and some of the supporting cast. Check it out.

Iron Man 3-Christmas time is Shane Black season although, I have to admit that this is not one of his stronger films. I have a few problems that I won’t air here out of the spirit of peace and goodwill, but those of you who have had this conversation with me know what they are.

Joyeux Noel- Inspired by true events during World War I, this movie tells the story of what happened on one Christmas Eve when a platoon of French, German and Scottish soldiers looked across their stretch of the 100 yards of No Man’s Land and asked each other, will it affect the outcome of the war if we don’t shoot at each other for one night? I won’t tell you much more about it outside of check it out.

Kelly’s Heroes-It’s a war movie, it’s a heist movie, it’s a comedy, it’s a…it’s one of my favorites that I can’t recommend enough, go check it out.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang-This is definitely one of Shane Black’s best films. Robert Downey, Jr. plays a burglar who gets mistaken for an actor and winds up in Hollywood to star in a murder mystery movie but finds that reality is providing enough of both to keep him busy. The dialogue is brilliant, check it out.

Krampus-We all know about the jolly old fat guy that comes around and brings presents to the good boys and girls but whatever happens to the naughty children? That’s where Krampus comes in. If you’ve seen it, then you already know how good it is, if you haven’t, go check it out.

La La Land-This is another movie that I’m surprised I liked. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I enjoy it. It’s a musical comedy but it’s not like My Fair Lady or even Everyone Says I Love You, which is kind of what I was expecting. It’s a simple story of a not so simple subject of boy meeting girl and trying to make their dreams come true in the city of Angels. It reminds me of another boy meets girls story that happened at that theater several years ago. I had met this girl while making a movie and we decided to go see movie later that week. Common interests, right? I forget the movie, it might have had Anthony Hopkins in it, it’s not important. As we’re leaving the theater there was this guy playing a guitar. He was just practicing while waiting for something. The two of them are really connecting, trading e-mail addresses, I think they even knew some of the same people. I just bookmarked the moment because I knew exactly where this was going. We saw each other for about another three weeks or so for lack of anything better to do, I guess. Some circumstance came up that gave us a good chance to say good bye. About another month later, somehow we were talking on the phone and she’s telling me all about this new guy and then she remembers that I know him too, it’s the guy with the guitar. I’m sitting there listening, feeling like the old sage on the mountain as everything I saw coming is being told to me. As memory serves, I think I met somebody else either right before or right after the phone conversation. That lasted about three months. The girl and the guitar guy could still be together for all I know, we haven’t spoken in years. This isn’t musical comedy folks, go see the movie.

The Last Boyscout-If there’s a Christmas filled with mayhem, murder and mystery it must be a Shane Black film. He wrote this one and Tony Scott directed it. I still remember the first time I saw this movie, I was working at a movie theater and had to go in after hours and screen it to make sure it ran through okay. In the course of passing time, I called this girl I was dating at the time and we ended up getting into a(nother) fight. Why aren’t we still together? No big surprise there. Anyway, I was able to identify with this movie right off the bat and it really cheered me up. I’ve been a fan ever since. It’s well written and looks great. Check it out.

Lethal Weapon-Shane Black’s writing debut about an experienced homicide detective and a narcotics sergeant who have to work together to solve the biggest case of their careers. Richard Donner directed this one and if you track it down on home video, there is a director’s cut that’s about seven minutes longer and feels more complete than the theatrical version. Check it out.

The Nice Guys-I feel like I’ve already told you so much about this movie before since I mentioned it when it played theatrically and then I told you about the book and now it’s on home video. About the only thing new I can say about it is that it does get better with each viewing. Go and enjoy.

Rocky IV-Not your traditional Christmas movie, I’ll grant you, but when Rocky Balboa gives up his title, goes into a hostile land to avenge his friends death and ends up becoming an emissary of peace on Christmas day, isn’t that really what the holiday is all about?      

Santa’s Slay-This is a great holiday horror comedy. One thousand years ago an angel of the lord bested the son of Satan in a game of curling. As a result, he had to change his ways for a thousand years and be good. Time’s up and Santa’s on the rampage. Check it out.

Scrooged-Richard Donner’s other Christmas movie is this retelling of the classic Charles Dickens cautionary tale of a man who lets material gain obscure his view of his fellow man. I’ve always enjoyed this movie but I never fully came to appreciate it until I saw A Christmas Carol live on stage a couple of months ago. I was really taken with this production and somewhere in the back of my head I entertained the idea of enhancing it somehow. The character of Tiny Tim is iconic but if you stop and think about him, you really don’t get to know him. His parents have a few lines of dialogue about him and that’s about it. He evokes sympathy because of his age and his condition. When Scrooge and the spirits visit and there’s mention of a lonely crutch in the corner, of course you don’t want the little sick kid to die but, unfortunately, that’s what sick kids did in the nineteenth century, they died. What if you could give Tim something more to do to flush out his character? Let the audience get attached to Tim and not just a young sick boy. Wait a minute, what am I saying?! Rewrite Mr. Dickens?! Isn’t that punishable by a thousand paper cuts and the breaking of all of my writing instruments? But, how else do you build his charac-wait, of course, less is more. When his father was killed, the boy pulled a Tommy and stopped speaking. The other characters speak for him and you get a genuine sympathy for the character. You don’t want to see him wind up in the padded room so when he delivers his big line at the end, it is the Christmas miracle.

Silent Night, Deadly Night- The original Killer Santa movie that is often imitated but nobody got it right like Michael Hickey and Charles Sellier, Jr. If you get the chance, go check it out.

The Thin Man-Mayhem, murder and mystery at Christmas, is this another Shane Black film? No! It’s Dashiell Hammett. Well, okay, it’s W.S. Van Dyke to be more precise. William Powell and Myrna Loy star as Nick and Nora Charles. He’s a former private investigator who hung up his trench coat when he married a socialite and started running the family businesses. You can’t keep a good detective down when an old client goes missing and everybody is looking to Nick Charles for answers. For all you murder mystery fans, this is one of the first movies to use the device of somebody-in-this-room-is-the-killer-and-I’m-going-to-show-you-who-it-is. Definitely check this one out.

     That’s about all I have for now, hope you enjoyed the read. I’ll be back next month with a new list of books, movies, stories about roller derby and who knows what else. Hope you all have a happy and safe new year!

A Slight Case Of Obsession

     Stay warm, isn't that what she told him, he wasn't sure, his heart was pounding in his ears at the time. His tech theater teacher said there would be extra credit given if they went to the local production of some holiday play. He could think of a few other ways to spend his time but his grades were slipping so every little bit helped. No way he was going to summer school or repeating his last year.
     He made some mental notes on the scenery and costumes and had to admit that it held his attention but then...she came in. She was an angel, literally and figuratively. She was playing some kind of Christmas angel but she was more captivating than the whole play itself. His whole attention was devoted to the stage and he hoped she'd come back in the second half. She didn't until the curtain call. The cast asked the audience to join them in the lobby for some refreshments so he stuck around.
     What's her name? He searched through his program to find it. Was she Angel #1 or Angel #2? Shit, he thought, she's right there, what now? Be cool, he told himself, just be cool. Please, God, do not let my voice crack or anything fly out of my nose for the next twenty minutes.
     He tried to smile and say hi. He had seen an old movie once where Carey Grant introduced himself to a woman and she told him her name. It worked, thanks Carey! He was feeling every one of his seventeen years as he tried to make small talk and compliment her on her performance. She smiled, said thank you and hugged him. After another brief exchange she said she had to go and change and hugged him again and probably said stay warm.
     His head was filled with day dreams as he turned up his collar to the North wind and walked back to his moms car. It wasn't until he got in that he realized he could still smell her perfume on his coat. He just sat there for a minute and breathed it in. He had no idea how to get in touch with her but he knew he wanted to see her again. He didn't want to roll down his window when he went to the drive-thru window of the fast food place, but he had no choice. Besides, he'd have to air out the car anyway. Two rules of the mom mobile-no food and no girls. He breathed in one last time and rolled the window down to place his order.

December Newsletter

     It's the last month of the year, the home stretch. I would like to take a second and wish you the happiest of whichever holiday is your choosing and congratulate you on making it this far in 2016. We lost another icon. Mr. Leonard Cohen is no longer with us. It seems as though all of his press releases over the last few months have been about accepting his mortality and embracing the next step so it's hard to say that it's a complete shock but it always sucks when someone who's music and writing has been a part of your existence is now absent. I'm Your Man is one of my desert island albums, which one is yours?  I wonder how many times we'll hear Black Star, Bad Magic and You Want It Darker as we get closer to the end of the year.
     On a more cheerful note, Ronda Rousey is getting back into the octagon against Amanda Nunes on December 30th. I've always wanted to see her fight live but considering that it's taking place in Vegas ($$$) and the nosebleed seats are $95.00 with prices going into five digits the closer you get ($$$$$), this is not going to be that time. I'll just watch it on t.v. like everybody else.
     Do you have a reader on your gift list? Are you just looking for something interesting to get you through the day? Here's what I've read lately, maybe you'll get some ideas-

The Enemy by Lee Child- Do you remember last month when I said that the next novel after Persuader could only get better? Thankfully, I was right. This one is set in the late 1980’s as The Berlin Wall is coming down and the army is on the verge of downsizing. It’s a little disappointing that Child had to resort to the prequel (it’s a personal thing. I’m nostalgic for the days when adventure series just moved ever forward. Fleming never did a prequel, just saying) but it’s such a refreshing return to form that you take the bitter with the sweet. My only other criticism of this book is that I listened to it on cd and the narrator has this slow east coast-esque cadence to his voice that would be great if he were reading a Brett Halliday novel but it’s hard to imagine Jack Reacher speaking in this manner. Reacher is a man of few words, his sentences are short and clipped. I admit, it’s nit -picky, the story is still good, pick up the book and listen to whoever’s voice you want to.
 

Joyland by Stephen King- Not your typical Stephen King novel, this is published by Hard Case Crime. It’s told in flashback as a man recounts his days of working through school as a carnie in North Carolina in the early 1970’s. As you might have guessed, there’s a crime that’s been committed and because it’s King, there’s also a ghost involved. If you like King or just good slow burning mysteries, check it out.

A Life In Parts by Bryan Cranston-  Back in October I had the chance to attend his…well, I’m not sure what to call it…book signing/interview/speaking engagement (?). It was presented by a local bookstore and the price of admission paid for a copy of his new autobiography that he was promoting. He didn’t sit at a table and sign each book as people filed by which is why I’m hesitant to call it a book signing. He did, however, sign 100 copies beforehand and they were interspersed throughout the piles. When you take into consideration the number of people that The Uptown Theater holds, 100 is about a handful. I was just happy to be there and get a book, no sense in getting my hopes up. The bookstore owner interviewed Mr. Cranston who would then give very elaborate answers to the audience. The whole experience was rather unique and informal. It was fascinating to listen to him tell of his early days (he worked on Alligator(!!) as a special effects p.a.) and, of course, his time on Malcolm In The Middle and Breaking Bad. I was hoping to hear more about Trumbo but I guess that’s another story for another time.

     The book is written in a series of short vignettes so it’s perfect if you’re at work or a bathroom reader. It covers his childhood through his Tony Award winning performance in All The Way. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Cranston fan (you will be by the end) because the book is not just about him but the journey of an actor exploring his craft. I really recommend it.

     After the show, as I looked out across the sea of humanity being herded out the exit where three volunteers were passing out books as fast as they could, I’d almost forgotten about the hundred signed copies. I guess that’s how Charlie felt about his golden ticket. They had us moving like paratroopers, only instead of static lines there were books handed out before crossing the threshold into the dark American night. I walked back to my car and it wasn’t until I was home that curiosity finally nagged me enough to open my gift bag and discover that sensation of relief and excitement that 99 others felt that night.

One Shot by Lee Child- The storytelling is still on par and Jack Reacher is back in the present (well, the early 2000’s when the book was published). This is the one Paramount based the movie Jack Reacher on. It’s similar in storyline but still different enough to keep you interested. On a good note, the narrator of the cd is the same guy from The Enemy but, he got it a little closer this time. If you’ve enjoyed the other books in the series, don’t stop now!

     My movie list is considerably shorter than last month since I've been working more than watching but, since man cannot live on the written word alone, here's something you might want to check out-
Ashby-This movie came out last year and probably made its way through the festival circuit. Mickey Rourke plays a retired hitman who's neighbor is high school kid that just moved in. The kid gets a school assignment to talk to an older person and find out their story. I'll set up the premise for you, but you'll have to watch the movie to find out the rest. I really enjoyed it.

Doctor Strange-Wow! Have you seen this yet? The visual effects are incredible and need to be seen on the big screen so don't dawdle. I've been a cursory Doctor Strange fan since I was a kid. One of my cousins introduced me to him but I was always more of a Captain America and Daredevil fan to get into the mysticism of the good doctor. Here again, I'm not going to give away all of the plot points of the film, I'll just say go see it and enjoy.

Hacksaw Ridge-Say what you will about Mel Gibson, I enjoyed this movie. He branched out and tried some new things stylistically and you hardly recognize it as a Gibson film. I'll let history provide the spoilers and just say go check it out.

Home For The Holidays- This has kind of become a Thanksgiving tradition at my house. An all-star cast, each playing at least one of your relatives. If you get the chance, read the short story by Chris Radant.

Juggernaut- This has been a favorite of mine for a while. Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Anthony Hopkins and Ian Holm in the same movie about a mad bomber who'll blow up an ocean liner if he doesn't get his money! If you've seen it then you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't seen it then remedy that now!

A Perfect Day- Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, and Olga Kurylenko are overseas aid workers in The Balkans. It's a dramatic comedy that kind of reminds you of No Man's Land ('01). Watch and enjoy.

Pieces Of April- Thanksgiving is not complete until you've seen this movie. This is probably my favorite Oliver Platt role. The whole cast is good, don't get me wrong. It really gives a little pull on the heart strings.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles- John Hughes set the gold standard for Thanksgiving films with this classic. Steve Martin and John Candy are great together.

Rambo: First Blood Part II- Every so often, I'll take these off the shelf and remind myself of how good they are. I usually start with First Blood but anymore that's just one I enjoy more in December or, at least the winter months. I'll keep this short or else I'll just go on for paragraphs about the whole series. It's everything I shouldn't like in a movie but do- the first one is based on a novel and it went on for three more sequels...and I love them all.

Rambo III- Oh how the times have changed. Once the Mujahadin were our allies and our all-American fighting machine helped them defeat the Ruskies. Ignoring the dated politics of this film, it's still pretty fun. I have a guy that I rent prop weapons from who was an extra rebel horseman in the climactic finale. He'll tell me all kinds of on set stories, most of them are cautionary since he broke his leg when his horse went down in a scene. The Ultimate Edition dvd has a few deleted scenes.

Rambo- Our boy is a little older and a hell of a lot more jaded in the fourth chapter. The blu-ray has a directors cut that also has a director commentary. About the only noticeable difference in the directors cut, aside from pieces expanded a little here and there, is that you find out what "is". Personally, I think it completes the scene a lot better, not really sure why it was cut aside from time restraints.

     A quick note for you t.v. watchers- if you get the chance, check out Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I'm currently in season five and the show is incredible.

     That's about all I have for this month, again I'd like to wish you all a happy holiday and hope to see you in the new year!

  

November Newsletter

     Greetings all, I see we've survived another year without finding razor blades in the apples and needles in the Tootsie Rolls. Were you tricked or treated? My big holiday plans consisted of working and laundry with a staged reading of Ghostbusters thrown in the middle. For those of you in the KC area, check out The Buffalo Rooms calendar for these staged readings, they come around about once a month and they're amazing. It was a great way to ring in the holiday and wrap up the month. Here in November I'll be throwing myself more into my writing since I have two scripts and a book that have been long neglected. It's time for Jack to become a dull boy.
     I guess you could call this writing season. The other production companies I work with are either editing or looking to the next project. That's about status quo for us at Merry BanD. I've been in research mode lately as we cut our way through this jungle called editing. There have been technical aspects as well as subtle nuances that surfaced that we're working through. I would say that we're on schedule but we haven't really set a schedule so I'll just say that every day is progress.
     There was a lot of letting my geek flag fly last month as you'll soon see. The book list is short but if you're looking for a movie suggestion or five, read on.
     Without Fail by Lee Child-This is the sixth book in the Jack Reacher series. I've enjoyed them all and recommend them to anybody interested. The first book is called The Killing Floor and it's amazing but, not to diminish the rest of the series, being the first, it's the passion project, the one he could take his time writing and get everything perfect. That's why I'd say read the first two books to get a fair gauge of the series. In Without Fail, Reacher is hired by the Secret Service to do an audit on their security of the Vice President elect. The only spoiler I will give you, the jaded reader, is to give up thinking like Stephen Hunter and just go with it.
     Persuader by Lee Child-Yes, this is book seven and yes, 3/4 of this book starts to feel like Child is feeling the pressures of a contractual obligation. It holds your interest, don't get me wrong, but it just kind of wanders around. The series is currently on book nineteen or twenty so I know that it picks back up because the general public will only put up with mediocrity for about three books before it sees the pattern develop and moves on. Two other things give me hope for the next book, though. One is the last 1/4 of the book. It may start off slow but it comes back around fast. The second is that I'm one book away from the one they based the first movie on. Somewhere in the next book Child gets his groove back. I'll get around to it soon.
     Okay, here's the movie list I promised you. There are a couple of duds and a couple of surprises but hopefully you'll find something of interest.
     3 Days Of The Condor-How can you not think this movie is cool? I've been a fan for a while so when I started doing research for my spy thriller, I looked to a favorite. Robert Redford (you'll see this name again in this section) is a C.I.A. analyst (code named Condor) who is on the run after his section gets taken out by a hit squad. If you're a first timer or a veteran viewer, check this out, it's worth it.
     99 Homes-If you blinked, you missed it in theaters. It came out earlier this year but it's set during the housing collapse a few years ago. Michael Shannon gives a great performance (as usual) as a realtor trying to survive in its wake and Andrew Garfield is a man who loses his family home but then becomes part of the system that screwed him over. It almost feels like Wall Street for the housing market. It's worth your time just for Michael Shannon.
     After. Life- I picked this up at the library because it was in the horror genre and the cast intrigued me. Liam Neeson is a mortician who has a gift for communicating with the dead and Christina Ricci plays a school teacher who recently died in a car wreck. Justin Long plays her boyfriend. I'm not going to tell you too much in case you actually see it. The film is well made but it's not one you have to rush out and track down.
     All The Presidents Men-Robert Redford (there's that name again) produced this movie and as a result, ended up starring in it as Bob Woodward. Dustin Hoffman plays Carl Bernstein and together they write a series of stories that eventually brings down a presidency. This is another long time favorite that I don't have enough good things to say about. If you can find the two disk version, get it. There's a commentary track by Redford that gives a lot of insight to the making of the film as well as supplemental material that covers everything from behind the scenes of the movie to Watergate and the history of investigative journalism. Check this one out!
     Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story-A found footage movie about found footage... The story had some potential but the execution (no pun intended) is poor. A news magazine crew is doing a story about what happens to houses after the owners have been evicted (the dark side of 99 Homes?).They come across a house that isn't like the rest. There's still furniture, food in the fridge, even a child's homework still on the kitchen table. It's like the family just dropped everything and left. You always saw this scenario in horror films so I thought it was interesting to see the after math through a different lens. Unfortunately, it starts a downward spiral from there. For journalists, they suck at research. They manage to get just enough information on the family that occupied the house but then they stop. What about the mysterious figure in the videos they found? Who is he? What happened?  When did he first appear? Where did they study journalism? The movie has its moments but they a few and far between. I picked it up in the spirit of the holidays but now that it's over, I'm going to say don't waste your time.
     The American- This came out six years ago to a limited release and lukewarm reviews. I don't understand why. This movie is pretty good. George Clooney plays a gunsmith for hire who's work takes him to a small Italian town. It's hard to talk about without giving away too much so I'll just say go watch it.
     American Graffiti-The one movie George Lucas got right the first time. This played as a revival at the first of the month. It's always great to see this one on the big screen although the sound mix is a little off since they converted it to digital. It's like they couldn't decide what to put through which channel so they just took turns with it. The movie's still enjoyable though. The boom shadow at The Hop and the reflection in the roof of the car just seem to add to the charm that you forget about on the small screen. One of these days I'll have to take a field trip to Van Ness, just to check out the diner.
     Quick relevant story-about 17-ish years ago, Candy Clark and Bo Hopkins were at a car show signing autographs. I went, got autographs, listened to the stories about the movie and when the crowd thinned out I started asking them about Tentacles (I don't think Hopkins enjoyed making this as much as I enjoyed watching it) and Blue Thunder. It was a fun afternoon.
     American Ultra-It creeps me out sometimes how similar this is to Order 86. We finished the script before it came out so I know there's no plagiarism or power of suggestion, there are just so many ways you can tell a spy story and I'm sure we all had the same influences. That being said, it is a fun movie and if you get the chance, check it out.
     Annie Hall-Early Woody is still the best. Check it out, you'll enjoy it.
     Argo-Ben Affleck's opus. This movie really gave me a whole new respect for the man. His attention to detail is incredible, the story is based on fact and having lived through that time when the hostages were being held, I found it interesting. It's the story Ted Koppel didn't tell you. Quick media nerd fact-Nightline on ABC started as a recap of special reports about the Iranian hostage crisis. Quick film geek fact-Affleck based his C.I.A. interior lighting on the newsroom lighting in All The Presidents Men. Visually, it works but when you find out why Pacula lit the newsroom the way he did, it seems a little odd thematically.
     The Assassin Next Door-This is a 2009 import from Israel that i think may have lost a few things in translation. It stars Olga Kurylenko, who's big claim to fame is Quantum Of Solace. It centers around the friendship that grows between two women as one is trying to get out of an abusive marriage and the other is trying to distance herself from being a trigger man for the mob. It's very okay.
     The Beaver-Jodie Foster directed and starred in this film about a man who suffers from depression and learns to express himself through a hand puppet. Unfortunately, this movie got a bad shake when it was released because it also stars Mel Gibson and this was right after his notorious arrest. Hopefully, he'll take a couple of more roles as the villain and people can exorcise their hatred on his dying corpse as the hero rides off into the sunset and then, after all of the Haterade has passed, he can get back to doing movies like this. I guess we'll just have to see how Hacksaw Ridge does. Whether you love him or hate him off screen, on screen the guy's great and I miss seeing him in roles like this. Check it out, it's pretty good. It'll make a good companion piece to Foster's holiday classic, Home For The Holidays.
     The Big Easy-The sleeper hit of 1987 is back, well, on this list anyway. The classic murder mystery set in the city of New Orleans with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin! I enjoy the shit out of this movie. I've been a Quaid fan ever since Breaking Away. The film also has Ned Beatty and John Goodman who was still working his way up from Foot Locker commercials on his way to oh-yeah-that-guy status. Been a while since you've seen? Do yourse'f a favor 'cher and make you up a pot o' dat gumbo and take a look.
     The Bourne Ultimatum-I shouldn't enjoy this movie as much as I do but dammit, it's just a good spy thriller. Back when there were only three Bourne films, they had the sense to wrap up the trilogy and give you all of the answers that they had been dangling in front of your face for two previous films. Plus, the action sequences are bigger and better than the last two because they had expectations to meet. The first two films aren't bad but this is the one I keep coming back to. The Waterloo Station scene alone is worth your price of admission. Fun random fact-while I couldn't do anything as elaborate as The Waterloo Station scene in Order 86, I did have a similar idea sparked by a different Ludlum novel that could have worked if only we'd had more extras...that's showbiz.
     Captain America: The First Avenger-The first time they actually made Cap work outside of the comic book. There was a serial, there were a couple of made for t.v. movies that made Reb Brown a household name but that's about all they did, and another failed attempt in 1989 that eventually turned up on cable. Chris Evans really did a good job of bringing the character to life and it's one of the few times you get to like Neal McDonough.
     Captain America: The Winter Soldier-With the origin story out of the way and after The Avengers team up, Cap finally gets his own story. It's a great spy thriller that also takes the Marvel Universe and shakes it up. We meet Nick Fury's boss (Robert Redford, him again), HYDRA has infiltrated SHIELD, we meet The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Dr. Zola, mercifully, is portrayed in a more realistic fashion. It's just an all around great movie. I should probably break down and buy the trilogy seeing as this is the second time I've checked it out from the library. Sometimes the mood just hits.
     Charade-Here's another great film that Order 86 owes a few things to. I never blatantly stole from it, but most times during re-writes I couldn't help asking myself, what would Peter Joshua do? Track down the Criterion edition, there's a commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone.
     The Crazies-Made in 1973 by George Romero, this is an example of guerrilla film making in its natural habitat. What it lacks in production value, it had to make up for in story. This film was plagued with financial problems but still managed to get made. Ultimately, I think, the low budget quality almost gives it a documentary look. It's not great but well worth a look if you're a Romero fan.
     Cul-De-Sac-This is an early film from Roman Polanski that almost captures the spirit of the French New Wave films of the early 1960's. It's filmed beautifully in black and white and star Lionel Stander, Donald Pleasence and Francoise Dorleac. I know most people go ga-ga over it but I thought it was pretty good. I loved the technical side of it but the story line didn't really grab me. Still, it's worth a look.
     Dracula A.D. 1972-What's Halloween without a Hammer film? Christopher Lee reprises his role with Peter Cushing playing the grandson of his arch nemesis. If there can be descendants of the Van Helsing line, why can't there be descendants of Dracula's familiars? Johnny Alucard (get it? Spell it backwards) has the vial of the counts ashes that his forefathers gathered 100 years ago and now, with the help of Van Helsing's great grand daughter, he will bring Dracula back to have his revenge. High art? Hardly, but it's a lot of fun. If you were a fan of Marvel's Tomb Of Dracula, you'll see a lot of similarities, so it works on a nostalgia level.
     Idiocracy-It's hard to believe that in ten years Mike Judge's parody film is almost a documentary. Luke Wilson is part of a military experiment where he was  supposed to be cryogenically frozen for a year but due to budget cuts, he got warehoused and wakes up in the 24th century to discover the world has become stupid. Check it out, it's funny because it's true.
     In Like Flint-The last movie in the Derek Flint series. Both movies are just so much fun. James Coburn plays the ultimate spy who has to save the world again and take on women's lib. Despite being part of our mantra while making Order 86 (it's not that kind of movie), I felt the urge to revisit it just because of that mid-'60's Cinemascope look that both of the movies had. I don't know that we ever had that many lights at our disposal to make our film look like that.
     Jack Reacher- At the time this came out, it was a glass of fresh, cool water. The movie is intelligent and you love it for that. Tom Cruise is the polar opposite of the character in the book but he gets into the character and makes it work. I still enjoy this movie.
     Jack Reacher: Never Go Back-If you haven't seen it yet, go now. It's different from the first one and in a good way. I'm not going to spoil it, I'm just going to say go.
     The Magnificent Seven ('16)-I was luck enough to see this for free so I got my moneys worth out of it. It's not as bad as I thought it might be but it sorely lacks the character development that is essential to this story. Given the option, I'd say go see any of the other variations on this story and you'll be happy.
     Our Man Flint-Set up as a parody of the super spy genre, these movies are fun. I remember seeing them as a kid and enjoying them more than James Bond. Derek Flint made me thirst for knowledge. To be able to get a chemical analysis of a poison dart and narrow down which region of Europe the would be assassin came from because of a bouillabaisse recipe, was amazing to me. Of course, I knew it was just a joke, but it got me thinking, what if somebody could be that smart? Like Sherlock Holmes? Between Derek Flint and Buckaroo Banzai, I learned that you can pursue all of your interests and put them to work.
     Shin Gojira- A Japanese Godzilla movie?! Yes, please! Earlier in October, there was a one night run of this movie in a couple of local theaters. It's been sixteen years since Toho has put out a Godzilla movie and this one doesn't disappoint. I'm usually a bigger fan of his movies when he actually goes up against another monster but in this one he just invades Tokyo and the Japanese have to find a way to stop him. It seemed only appropriate that I take my Godson to see this since we saw Godzilla 2000 together. Of course, this time we didn't have to fake a dentist appointment to get him out of school early. Oh, don't look at me like that, the boy turned out just fine. He went on to graduate college AND he's a Godzilla fan, my job here is done.
     Straight-Jacket-'Tis the season for a William Castle movie and this one has Joan Crawford in it. Written by Robert Bloch, it tells the story of a woman who comes home 20 years after being in an asylum for killing her husband (Lee Majors in his first movie). People start winding up dead when she's around...hmm....is mother having a relapse? Far be it for me to cast dispersion's on Bloch's work, a friend of mine says I tend to repeat themes in my work, but if you're thinking you might have seen this in Psycho II, I'm not going to say you're wrong.
     Thunderbolt And Lightfoot-I ran across this one at the library and I'd always thought I'd seen it on t.v. but the synopsis wasn't ringing a bell so I picked it up. It's Michael Cimino's first movie and it's really good. That was a rare treat to find an early Clint Eastwood movie that i hadn't seen before. If you get the chance, definitely check it out.
     Well folks, it looks like I've run out of things so I'll just sign off here and say have a good holiday and I'll see you next month.